Football Do you ever wonder if it's worth it? - Page 2

NewChief · 10-25-2010, 09:54 AM

After an exhausting Saturday of watching the Razorbacks play through two rain delays, I started pondering fandom.

Back when Trent was playing, the wife and I had no choice but to follow everything that was happening. We lived and died on Sundays. A loss or poor game would basically ruin my week until the following Friday, at which point I'd really stop dwelling on the past and start looking forward to the future. A good game, while a mood elevator, wouldn't really have a proportionate positive effect as a loss.

When Trent started playing less and less, we stopped following football as much and started enjoying having our Fall back to do other things. Eventually, though, we decided to start really following the Razorbacks because we felt there was a vacuum in our weekend (and she was born and raised on football, so doesn't really know what else to do with the Fall), and we're contemplating getting season tickets so our kids can be raised tailgating and enjoying football like she was.

On Saturday, though, I began to wonder if I really want to become a fan (as in a fanatic) again. I was screaming at the TV. Throwing shit. Stomping around the house. Cussing like a sailor. Basically acting like an idiot. At the end, the Razorbacks won... but I didn't really feel elated. I was just exhausted. It didn't make my night better. It didn't make my weekend better. If we would have lost, though, it would have completely ruined my night and weekend.

Is there help out there for people like me who, when they become a fan, live and die by their teams? Are there others who suffer from the same syndrome, or do I just need to get a grip?

Edit: I realize the Chiefs are on a roll and people are feeling positive about the team... so this may be poor timing for this post.

NewChief · 10-25-2010, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

Watching a game on television doesn't even come close to the highs and lows you feel while attending a game. I think if you have a tough time conducting yourself in a civilized manner while watching the game on television, you may want to stay away from the stadium.

I've attended probably 30 Chiefs games and 15 Razorback games.

I'm probably more in control at the stadium than at home. Or well... you can yell and scream a little less obnoxiously when you're surrounded by thousands of other people yelling and screaming. So maybe I'm the same in either place, but at the stadium it's less out of place.

Amnorix · 10-25-2010, 10:34 AM

The best thing about winning all these championships here in Boston over the last decade is that it has brought peace of mind. In all honesty, if I would win a championship in 2010 or 2015, when my kids are a better age to appreciate it, I'll take 2015. Back when I was DYING to win a Championship, I'd say forget it.

It didn't take long to realize that a Championship banner doesn't put food on my kid's plate or keep my roof above my head. You still need to go to work the next day, and other than pleasant banter, and the ability to crow like a complete a-hole on the internet to a random pack of strangers -- if you're so inclined -- it doesn't affect your life much.

I still get emotional, and I'm up, or down, for a few hours after the game, but then that's it. It doesn't ruin my week, like it used to, or any of that.

I'm now a zen football fan, I guess.

**gblowfish** · 10-25-2010, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

Sometime, and then I watch Denver get destroyed 59-14.

Classic example of schadenfreude.

Rausch and me are into schadenfreude big time.

Actually, since I've grown up as a Mizzou fan and Chiefs fan, I have a pretty fatalistic attitude whenver good things start to happen. It's what I grew up with, it's all I've known for forty years. Every promising win is just one day closer to having Lucy pull the football away.

Cubs fans have the same thing.

It would take years of therapy for me to feel any different.

So many times I have to enjoy schadenfreude to enjoy life, usually at the expense of Denver, Oakland, the Yankees, or my personal favorite, the Kansas Jayhawks. That's just the way I roll.

**Rausch** · 10-25-2010, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sd4chiefs

I am glad to know that I am not the only nutball that goes postal everytime it looks like the Chiefs are going to find a way to lose a game.

The PS3 has saved me a ton of $$$.

In the past I'd lose my $3it and throw whatever remote was closest at the screen. I bet I'd owned somewhere between 10-15 PS2 joysticks from erupting after Madden allowed Warrick Dunn to break 9 tackles, vs a 99 ranked defense, on the way to a 90+ yard TD.

$15-$20 controllers are teh debil.

Now these expensive assed remotes/controllers hurt the wallet when they need replaced and I walks my azz outside and smoke...

**Bugeater** · 10-25-2010, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sully

It wasn't two minutes after the Mizzou win Saturday night that I started worrying about Nehraska.

Worried? About what?

**Rausch** · 10-25-2010, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Classic example of schadenfreude.

Rausch and me are into schadenfreude big time.

This.

Mizzou, Chiefs, former Blues and Utah Jazz fan.

In my lifetime none have done anything other than get close enough to stomp yer' nuts after blueballs.

BUT, there is hope...

**Dave Lane** · 10-25-2010, 10:45 AM

Seriously. I love the Chiefs, but my worth as a person or the quality of my life is effected very little by it. Many people like ROR probably have very low self esteem and hence a large amount of their self value is wrapped up in their team or political position or other point of view.

I love to debate religion. But whether I convince anyone of my POV or not is meanless to me. In the end you create your own happiness, no one else or any "team" creates happiness within you.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 10-25-2010, 11:29 AM

We only get football a few months a year, so just enjoy it and don't kick the dog.

underEJ · 10-25-2010, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

Seriously. I love the Chiefs, but my worth as a person or the quality of my life is effected very little by it. Many people like ROR probably have very low self esteem and hence a large amount of their self value is wrapped up in their team or political position or other point of view.

I love to debate religion. But whether I convince anyone of my POV or not is meanless to me. In the end you create your own happiness, no one else or any "team" creates happiness within you.

Agreed. I am a huge sports fan, long time Chiefs season ticket holder (shared with family since I live in LA,) big college basketball fan, love attending most sporting events even casually like Dodger or Laker games. I (most respectfully and vehemently) refuse to work on Sundays during my game even in a schedule crunch time, but I have no problem working on holidays.

All that being said, I look at sports as a value added to my life. The celebrations are a great positive, but it's the ritual of the game experience, the shared community of people who would otherwise not be in my circle of awareness, the joy of watching feats of athleticism, and let's face it the fun of collectively booing refs that gives me a broader sense of the world and enriches my life. The lows have no power because I don't base my happiness on the outcome of the games.

My grandfather played in college, coached high school, and football was huge in our family. Even after he began to forget us as individuals, the ritual of game watching was a soothing connection even if we couldn't put it into words for him. It is worth it.

**Bearcat** · 10-25-2010, 11:54 AM

This is what I posted in the "**** this team for making me care again" thread...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearcat

It is possible to care without wanting to kick the dog at the end of the game or feeling sick about it for a week. I was in your shoes when I was in college, and people on here like Dartgod would (from my perspective) act like they didn't care and I'd say the same stuff.... then the Chiefs lost to the Colts and the Jayhawks lost to Syracuse within a year of each other, and I thought, this is f***ing stupid.

So, I still yell at the tv and get frustrated when they make mistakes, I still scream as loud as possible when I'm at Arrowhead, I still think about what could have been after the bad losses (not so much yesterday, thinking more like KU/UNI)... then, when the game is over, I get on with my life and the stuff I can control.

I don't think anyone should have to apologize for being angry after a loss, unless you throw a beer into someone's tv, and like siberian said, it's good to care enough again to look forward to the game every week and to get angry when they lose. OTOH, there's no point in letting any loss, much less one in October, wreck your week, but I've been there so I'm not here to judge.

In my lifetime from 'my' teams, I've seen 2 CBB NCs (I was 8 the first time though, so didn't really care), 3 DII CFB NCs, 1 Stanley Cup, and an Orange Bowl(!) victory.

So, if you add up the years I've really followed each team, that's 6 seasons that ended with a significant win out of (off the top of my head) ~100 combined seasons.... 6%.

So, to answer your question... no, it's not worth it if a loss ruins your week. OTOH, out of those 100 seasons, there has been a high percentage of entertaining games that make the entertainment value of watching each team worth it in the long run (except the Royals).

keg in kc · 10-25-2010, 11:55 AM

I only wonder if it's worth it when we're losing (as in losing all the time...) and I'm trying to decide whether to turn the game off at halftime.

blaise · 10-25-2010, 12:00 PM

I used to let it get to me a lot. I'm a Red Sox fan and every year I would see them do suck it up somehow. But then they won and I don't mind it so much when they lose. But it did used to hurt my feelings pretty bad. 2003 made me literally sick to my stomach.

Otter · 10-25-2010, 12:06 PM

I'd have a much easier time caring more about football these days if most of the players weren't paid the exorbitant amount of money they receive for playing a game and the NFL didn't try to suck every penny they could out of you to go see a game once a week.

I understand it's a business but it's just a bit to greedy right now for me to actually invest anything be it emotion or money. I root for the Chiefs and love to watch them play but the outcome in no way effects me for more than an a short period after the game.

I think I'm one of the few hoping for a strike and and outcome much like what played out in the NHL. Hockey is much more enjoyable today than before the strike.

Dallas Chief · 10-25-2010, 12:10 PM

Yes. It is always worth it. What else would you be doing in the fall anyway? Making scarecrows stuffed with leaves and setting them up in various poses in your yard. No thanks. I live for September through January for many reasons, football being a big part of that. Sounds sick and lame, but I don't care.

Norman Einstein · 10-25-2010, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewPhin

After an exhausting Saturday of watching the Razorbacks play through two rain delays, I started pondering fandom.

Back when Trent was playing, the wife and I had no choice but to follow everything that was happening. We lived and died on Sundays. A loss or poor game would basically ruin my week until the following Friday, at which point I'd really stop dwelling on the past and start looking forward to the future. A good game, while a mood elevator, wouldn't really have a proportionate positive effect as a loss.

When Trent started playing less and less, we stopped following football as much and started enjoying having our Fall back to do other things. Eventually, though, we decided to start really following the Razorbacks because we felt there was a vacuum in our weekend (and she was born and raised on football, so doesn't really know what else to do with the Fall), and we're contemplating getting season tickets so our kids can be raised tailgating and enjoying football like she was.

On Saturday, though, I began to wonder if I really want to become a fan (as in a fanatic) again. I was screaming at the TV. Throwing shit. Stomping around the house. Cussing like a sailor. Basically acting like an idiot. At the end, the Razorbacks won... but I didn't really feel elated. I was just exhausted. It didn't make my night better. It didn't make my weekend better. If we would have lost, though, it would have completely ruined my night and weekend.

Is there help out there for people like me who, when they become a fan, live and die by their teams? Are there others who suffer from the same syndrome, or do I just need to get a grip?

Edit: I realize the Chiefs are on a roll and people are feeling positive about the team... so this may be poor timing for this post.

If you don't hurt when the Chiefs lose you aren't really much of a fan. The queston is how long do you let it impact your life?

I hate it when they lose, but have found that I can get happy in the same shoes I got sad in. The games are not life and death, they are games and we do get deeply involved, but if you keep the dejection through the week there is more wrong than football IMO.

I do so enjoy Mondays when I can hammer the guys at work that are cowboy fans when they lose, especially this year when I can tell them there is still time for them to get on the Chiefs bandwagon and abandon the cowboys. Tomorrow we take their cowboy stuff down early in the morning if they lose! I have a few Chiefs items I can put up before they get to work.

10-25-2010, 09:54 AM
NewChief In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Fayetteville, AR Casino cash: $7150204	Do you ever wonder if it's worth it? After an exhausting Saturday of watching the Razorbacks play through two rain delays, I started pondering fandom. Back when Trent was playing, the wife and I had no choice but to follow everything that was happening. We lived and died on Sundays. A loss or poor game would basically ruin my week until the following Friday, at which point I'd really stop dwelling on the past and start looking forward to the future. A good game, while a mood elevator, wouldn't really have a proportionate positive effect as a loss. When Trent started playing less and less, we stopped following football as much and started enjoying having our Fall back to do other things. Eventually, though, we decided to start really following the Razorbacks because we felt there was a vacuum in our weekend (and she was born and raised on football, so doesn't really know what else to do with the Fall), and we're contemplating getting season tickets so our kids can be raised tailgating and enjoying football like she was. On Saturday, though, I began to wonder if I really want to become a fan (as in a fanatic) again. I was screaming at the TV. Throwing shit. Stomping around the house. Cussing like a sailor. Basically acting like an idiot. At the end, the Razorbacks won... but I didn't really feel elated. I was just exhausted. It didn't make my night better. It didn't make my weekend better. If we would have lost, though, it would have completely ruined my night and weekend. Is there help out there for people like me who, when they become a fan, live and die by their teams? Are there others who suffer from the same syndrome, or do I just need to get a grip? Edit: I realize the Chiefs are on a roll and people are feeling positive about the team... so this may be poor timing for this post.
Posts: 21,845

10-25-2010, 10:34 AM	#17
Amnorix In BB I trust Join Date: May 2003 Location: Boston, Mass. Casino cash: $10029808	The best thing about winning all these championships here in Boston over the last decade is that it has brought peace of mind. In all honesty, if I would win a championship in 2010 or 2015, when my kids are a better age to appreciate it, I'll take 2015. Back when I was DYING to win a Championship, I'd say forget it. It didn't take long to realize that a Championship banner doesn't put food on my kid's plate or keep my roof above my head. You still need to go to work the next day, and other than pleasant banter, and the ability to crow like a complete a-hole on the internet to a random pack of strangers -- if you're so inclined -- it doesn't affect your life much. I still get emotional, and I'm up, or down, for a few hours after the game, but then that's it. It doesn't ruin my week, like it used to, or any of that. I'm now a zen football fan, I guess.
Posts: 43,125

10-25-2010, 10:45 AM	#22
Dave Lane Space Cadet and Aczabel Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Kanab, UT, USA Casino cash: $9333275 VARSITY	Seriously. I love the Chiefs, but my worth as a person or the quality of my life is effected very little by it. Many people like ROR probably have very low self esteem and hence a large amount of their self value is wrapped up in their team or political position or other point of view. I love to debate religion. But whether I convince anyone of my POV or not is meanless to me. In the end you create your own happiness, no one else or any "team" creates happiness within you. __________________ Thanks, Trump for the civics lesson. We are learning so much about RICO, espionage, sedition, impeachment, the 25th Amendment, order of succession, nepotism, separation of powers, 1st Amendment, obstruction of justice, the emoluments clause, conflicts of interest, collusion, sanctions, oligarchs, money laundering and so much more.
Posts: 40,584

10-25-2010, 11:29 AM	#23
Sweet Daddy Hate Unsparing Join Date: Aug 2008 Casino cash: $10004900	We only get football a few months a year, so just enjoy it and don't kick the dog. __________________ 1. Merciless, severe. 2. Given freely and generously. 100% refusal to overrate 20 year Head Coaches with ZERO **ing rings as a Head Coach. CP's Official Professor of 'Dem Blues for 2019/2020!**
Posts: 77,135

10-25-2010, 11:55 AM	#26
keg in kc oxymoron Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: OP/KC/Whatever Casino cash: $9556299	I only wonder if it's worth it when we're losing (as in losing all the time...) and I'm trying to decide whether to turn the game off at halftime.
Posts: 58,682

10-25-2010, 12:00 PM	#27
blaise In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Plano, TX Casino cash: $9989900	I used to let it get to me a lot. I'm a Red Sox fan and every year I would see them do suck it up somehow. But then they won and I don't mind it so much when they lose. But it did used to hurt my feelings pretty bad. 2003 made me literally sick to my stomach.
Posts: 22,189

10-25-2010, 12:10 PM	#29
Dallas Chief Veteran Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Jupiter, FL. Casino cash: $-1204727	Yes. It is always worth it. What else would you be doing in the fall anyway? Making scarecrows stuffed with leaves and setting them up in various poses in your yard. No thanks. I live for September through January for many reasons, football being a big part of that. Sounds sick and lame, but I don't care.
Posts: 3,855